Pirates Versus Privates : Versus Vampires
by DixieMame
Summary: A crossover between PVP and Twisted-Wind's Count Dragul comics, this mid-quel crosses worlds in a tale of lost love, major misunderstandings, and a chase to defeat the work of the evil King of Clocks! Can Captain Mickey and Count Dragul work together?
1. Hunt Versus Hounded

_Welcome, one and all, to the crossover between Pirates Versus Privates and Twisted-Wind's Count Dragul comics! It's not really a sequel to either, more of a 'mid-quel' in both stories. The chase is still on between Private Minnie and Captain Mickey, and in the Dragul world, Mina isn't pregnant yet._

_Count Mickey Dragul's castle is attacked, and Mina is kidnapped by a group of strange time-obsessed creatures. The Count will go solo to hunt after her, despite the warnings from his companions. Meanwhile, Private Minnie uncovers a magic mirror after trying to stop those very same creatures, and winds up in the world of Dragul. What are these creatures, and why are they so determined to get their hands on Minnie and Mina? Who will win in a fight between the Captain and the Count? If they can't learn to work together, their mouse maidens may met their misfortune at the hands of the King of Clocks!_

_In this first chapter, we are reintroduced to our heroes and heroines, and the mysterious doll girl E gets her hands on our maidens!_

_Lastly, E, the clock dogs, and their creator are all my original creations. These chapters will be much shorter than the usual PVP chapters, and the amount of chapters will be smaller as well. More than five, but probably less than ten._

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><p>"Oh, will you look at that! That piece of the chess board managed to escape."<p>

"How annoying. Well, should we go look for it?"

"Hmmm… no, I think this will be more fun. And who says we still can't play? I believe it's my turn."

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><p>Each and every book in the aging library had its own share of dust. When the castle had only one master, he had abandoned the books, finding no desire to read them in his strange loneliness. Now the master was going through them all, thumbing through them quickly and tossing the rejects over his shoulder. Every so often a whiff of dust would hit his nose, and he'd sneeze hard enough to be heard all over the castle. He could hear the laughter of ghosts at his sneezes, and although it was tempting to yell at them, there were more important matters at hand. The night was full, bright, and beautiful, with morning just a dream away – and sixteen shelves of worthless books hadn't given him the answers he was seeking.<p>

Number seventeen wasn't looking too promising either, and the count slammed the book shut in his frustration. This also brought forth a massive call of dust, but this time he grabbed his nose in an effort to stop the impending sneeze. He waited one second for the urge to sneeze to pass… then two… then three… and then sighed, relaxing.

"Find it yet?"

The spooky startle from the spirit behind him surprised him so suddenly that not only did he let go of his nose, he sneezed twice as loudly as normal, dropped the book on his foot, howled in pain, and then sneezed again. Once he had gained some semblance of bodily control, he turned around and tried not to be irritable. "No. No I didn't, Emily."

Ever since the arrival of the mistress to the castle, the beautiful dead bride Emily had become much more sociable, which could be taken as both good and bad. With how sweetly she was smiling, the count couldn't get too mad at her, she he exhaled out his anger and picked out another book, with Emily continuing to watch him. "If I may… I don't think you'll find what you're looking for in these books. In fact, I don't even know if someone has written about this sort of thing before."

"I have to try!" He flipped through the pages of book eighteen, quickly scanning his eyes over the pages to find words of importance. "I promised Mina we would get married, and I never break my promises." Especially not to his beloved Mina, the woman who had changed his life, who had brought light to his darkness, and in return, he had turned her into a monster like himself. Though she had never blamed him, and so far had even embraced her life as a member of the undead, the count had been unable to forgive himself for giving her the bite. The guilt bothered him even now, giving him pause as his black fingers rested on a yellowed page.

This was in part why Emily had chosen now to bother him. If he was left alone for too long, his mind would wander to those depressing thoughts. She walked up to his side, and spoke slightly louder in order to grab his attention. "I think you just want to see her in a pretty wedding dress." She idly poked his cheek, though her fingers passed through his cold skin and fur. "We could braid her hair up and put her in something white and lacy."

The distraction worked, and the count's unnaturally sharpened teeth were exposed as he grinned. "It has nothing to do with that. I made her a promise, but how am I supposed to marry her when we can't even look at a cross without getting hurt? We can't go to a church, so we can't get someone to marry us. It has absolutely nothing to do with… how good she'll look." Though his words were serious, his eyes gave away the obvious implications of daydreaming. "… She would look nice in white."

"She looks nice in everything." Emily gave him a knowing look, once the count actually looked at her. "And she'll be happy no matter what she wears, and no matter how the ceremony is done. She loves you, Mickey, and nothing will ever change that. You don't need her to walk down an aisle for to know that."

He hesitated for a moment, and then closed the book, resigning himself to his friend's advice. "… I suppose you would know best." Who was he to argue about weddings with the ghost of a bride? He placed the book back on the shelf. "I guess I should just go and ask Mina exactly what she wants." But a thought occurred to him, and as he wiped some dust off of his robes, he turned to face his dead companion. "You know, Emily, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you…"

The question was left unasked – a horrid, piercing cry hit their ears, and Mickey instantly recognized it – the wolves, from the forest surrounding his castle! These were cries of pain, of terror – then the castle rumbled, its very foundation began to shake. It couldn't have been an earthquake, nor were the ghosts up to their pranks. A voice broke through the cries and shakes, the all commanding voice of Madam Leota. "Master! There are intruders in the castle, they're heading up to the throne room! They've completely obliterated the entrance to the castle!"

What kind of force could do this much damage to his wolves and castle? There was no time to ponder, Mickey knew, so he ran as fast as his feet could take him. As he passed through countless doors and corridors, he could hear the frightened whimpers of the other ghosts, and the rumbles of the castle grew harder the closer he got to the source. He arrived at the throne room, intending to use the hidden door behind the stone dragon to reach Mina and warn her. Yet when he thrust the doors open, the dragon's head was being chopped off, and fell to the ground with a tremendous bang. Here were the intruders, and were Mickey already not dead, the sight would have made his blood even colder.

At first glance, one could make the mistake that these things were giant black dogs, but that mistake would instantly be cleared. No dog was as massive as these creatures, which could tower every horse carriage in the country. Their bulging muscles were grotesque, and their grunts sounded like the rotations of rusty gears. They tore at the floor with their massive paws, and there was a trail of broken walls and chewed up furniture far behind them. Despite all this, their most disturbing feature was their eyes – for they weren't eyes, but clocks, with the numbers painted on out of order, and the hour hands twisted this way and that, hundreds of rotations per second. They seized upon the fallen head of the dragon, and tore it apart without joy or pleasure to it, instead just doing it because it was in the way.

A mismatched sound of giggling was made high above the clock beasts, and when Mickey looked up, he saw a young human woman sitting atop the dragon's neck. She too was not what she first appeared to be, for her elbows and knees were that of a doll's joints. Her dress was haphazardly sown together without insight to color or form, and her hair had the same color and feel as matted straw. Her eyes were also spinning clocks, and so were her palms, and there was an additional clock face on her stomach. The clock dogs had ignored Mickey's presence, but the girl saw him, and she kicked her feet back and forth in excitement. "One, two, how do you do? Three, four, I was just getting bored!" She jumped off the dragon's neck, and landed in front of the angered count. "Five six, we're in a fix! Seven, eight, your mistress is late!"

Mickey had a million and one questions for these abnormalities, but first he had to get them out before they destroyed his home. "Get out of my castle! This is your only warning!" He bared his vampire fangs at the doll girl, but she only giggled again at him, walking backwards and then side to side.

"Nine, ten, I won't say it again! Eleven, twelve…" She raised up her hands, and smacked her palms together. The sound of her palm clocks smashing together signaled to the dogs, who lifted their heads, and then set their sights on the count. They launched their gigantic bodies at him, and it took all of Mickey's strength to fend them off. One punch sent them flying, but they just as easily stood up and charged for him again. He counted at least five of them, and they came at him from every side, biting, clawing, snarling, intending to rip him apart if he wasn't fast enough to block them off. They didn't feel flesh to the touch – it was more that he was hitting sheer steel.

The doll girl watched the struggle with a child's amusement, bouncing up and down on her heels. "One, two, we don't want you! Three, four, it's Mina we're here for!"

Mickey's horror increased tenfold when, during the fight for his life, he heard the scream of his dearly beloved. She too had heard Leota's warning, but instead of hiding away, she had also headed for the source of the castle shakes. How dreadfully ironic she used the same secret door Mickey had been planning to use, and as she came out from behind the dragon, she had fallen into the trap of the clock creatures. No sooner had Mickey and Mina called out each other's names than the doll girl swooped in, scooping up Mina into her arms, and clutching her close to her chest. Though the doll looked frail, her grasp was iron, and Mina found no matter how hard she kicked about, she could not free herself.

The sight of his bride in danger so deeply terrified and angered the count that it added a million men to his strength, and his shadow-like powers reflected his intense emotions. His demonic wings took form, and with the force of Mickey's feelings, the blasted away the dogs to all the corners of the room, nearly toppling down two walls. His face became feral, advancing on the doll girl with his wings still extended, intending to give her a far worse fate than merely being blown off. "Put. Her. Down."

Still, the doll girl had no traces of fright. "Five, six, those are neat tricks! Seven, eight, but it's far too late!" She kissed Mina between the ears, treating her captor as if Mina was a doll instead. "Nine, ten, still can't use your powers then?" She held out one of her palms towards the count, as he began to advance ever closer. "Eleven, twelve…" A yellow light shout of her palm, emitting a clock face in front of the count. He would have ignored the light show, but the light enveloped him, and when he leapt to attack the kidnapper, he found he could not move! His limbs were frozen, and he remained as still as the destroyed statue nearby.

Mina squirmed in the tight grasp, trying uselessly to reach the man she cared for. "W-what did you do to him? Mickey! Mickeeey!" But no yell could get him to move, and he remained absolutely still.

"One, two, we've got better things to do." The doll plucked off one of the needles of her eye clocks, and haplessly tossed it on the floor. "Three, four, he'll move once more." The needle spun on its own on the floor, and it spun so quickly that it became a blur – and then that blur became a gaping hole, emitting more yellow light. "Five, six, but we'll be in a new mix!" The clock dogs had now regained their footing, and bounded towards the hole, jumping in one at a time and vanishing from sight. "Seven, eight, we've got to make a date!" Once all the dogs had left, the doll stepped up to the hole, and jumped in with her feet close together. "Nine, ten, it's all a matter of when!"

The last thing Mickey heard before the hole closed up was one more scream of his name. The hole merely ceased to exist in a second, and when it was gone, he was free to move. He could now move and do as he pleased, but all he could to think of to do in that movement was bang his fists on the place the hole once was, and yowl over loss of his intended bride.

* * *

><p>Normally, the annual Toy Fair in the Kingdom of Britain was the happiest time of the year. Toy factories from all over the world would come to display their latest products, and proud collectors would show off their valuable pieces. This year, several wealthy families had decided to spruce up an old, abandoned manor for the show. The crowd that came on that sunny brisk day were very lively, and fun was had in children of all ages. Private Minerva Mouse would have gladly been among this crowd, as she was fond of dolls and their lavish dresses. Alas, as said before, this would have been 'normally'.<p>

Today was not normal. Today, Private Minnie and her three companions found themselves in the Toy Fair as Captain Mickey and his Mouseketeers were ransacking the place. In her desire for revenge against the pirate who had ruined her reputation, Minnie was making just as big a mess as the men invading the manor. After zigzagging around toppled tops and picked apart puzzles, she found the little captain testing out several yo-yo's on each of his fingers. She stomped on the floor to get his attention, and he looked over, she pointed her pistol directly towards his face. "Captain Mickey, you're under arrest!"

He blinked once, and then sported that cheesy grin that tended to make Minnie's heart beaten faster. "Wanna see how many dogs I can walk, turtledove?"

"This is a new low, even for you!" She shoved her pistol to his nose, ignoring his adorable antics. "You're actually stealing from children! Don't you have any shame?"

"They're fer me inner child." He began to loosen each yo-yo from each finger, collecting them in his hands. "There's a difference between growin' up and growin' old. But speakin' a kids, how's about we play some kid's games?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, hoping to see her face go red. "We'll play house. I'll be the dad, ye'll be the mum, and-"

"How old are you?" She snapped to interrupt him, not wanting him to finish whatever insipid innuendo he was planning. "The only game we're playing here is Cops and Robbers, and I intend to win! Now, put your hands up in the air!" He wasn't going to get away this time!

Mickey shrugged. "Sure thing, luv." He rose up his hands, at the same time dropping all the colorful yo-yo's. The flurry of strings and wood succeed in distracting her, and Mickey took the opportunity to slap the pistol out of Minnie's hands, grab her by the wrists, and give her a powerful smooch on her bewildered mouth. He held it for one second… then two… then three… then pulled back, wearing that devious smirk that showed off his golden tooth. "Tag, yer it!" Then he ran off, feeling triumphant that he managed to make her entire face turn a lovely shade of scarlet.

Oooh, how she hated him! It was hate that flooded her body, making her knees go weak and her head feel light. Surely it was only hate that made her want to collapse onto the ground right there and then and just reel in the feel of those lips. Fueled with this 'hate', she snatched up her pistol from the ground, and resumed the chase. "Get back here, you filthy bilge rat!" Wait until she got her hands on him! Then she'd show him how much she hated him! She'd vigorously hate him over and over and over again! She'd hate his brains out!

As they went further into the manor, they managed to leave behind the fighting and messes, as these areas had yet to be robbed. Minnie lost track of him, and wound up at a corridor that split in two. To the left was a section devoted to old dolls. To the right was a section devoted to board games. Mickey could have easily gone down either one, but Minnie's hidden weakness for dolls led her to choose the left. And if he wasn't there, what could a few seconds of looking around hurt?

She quietly walked into the left empty corridor, and was greeted with wall to wall glass displays of past dolls throughout the ages. Mickey began to slip out of her mind as Minnie looked over each one in detail, marveling at the dedication put in each lock of hair, and in each tailored dress. She wished to take home every single one of them, except for the last doll she came upon. This one was modeled to be life-size, and while Minnie was sure the designer must have worked very hard on it, this particular doll was rather hideous. Who would put clocks on their eyes, or carelessly use only straw for their hair? The more Minnie stared at it, the more it gave her the creeps. She walked backwards in an effort to get away from the odd doll, and bumped into something behind her.

Turning around, she saw that she had nearly knocked over a large vanity mirror that was double her height. It was an unusual thing to find in a room for only dolls, and even stranger, the pale frame holding the reflective glass were shaped like arms from the elbow up. Minnie's lips curled at the spooky design, but she decided to make the best of it, and looked at herself in the mirror. She smoothed down her skirt, and placed her pistol back in its holster so she could attend to her spitcurls. She noticed that her sleeves had become wrinkled, due to Mickey grabbing them, and so she huffed as she tugged them down. The nerve of that ruffian!

"One, two, I'm coming for you!"

What the – Minnie could have sworn she was the only person in the room when she came in. She turned around –

"Three, four, I'm getting one more!"

It all happened far too fast – The doll, the same ugly doll with the clock eyes in that tall display case, it was now standing directly in front of her! It was smiling, and the clocks on its body were spinning around and around. "Five, six, your time is nix!" The doll then shoved Minnie back – and, impossibly, Minnie fell through the mirror –

Down Minnie plummeted, into a world of night sky, of ocean blue, of swirling colors and countless shining jewels that were no bigger than her eyes, and she fell, and she screamed, and she heard the doll laughing, and heard gears grinding, and she fell, and she fell, and she fell, and she closed her eyes –

First, there came a thud. Then, there came a crash. Minnie opened her eyes, and saw a moldy gray blanket on top of her. She was laying flat on her back on something wooden, and as she began to sit up, she heard angered and startled voices in thick, foreign tongues. She yanked the blanket off of her face, and saw that she was sitting in a musty caravan that was being pulled by an aging mule. The owners of the caravan had stopped to see what the commotion was about, and as Minnie looked around, she saw that she was surrounded by small bits of poorly made furniture. The caravan owners were upset that one of the pieces of furniture had been broken – a vanity mirror, with frames made to look like pale arms. The mirror was now shattered into thousands of pieces, and the owners were demanding something of Minnie – what it was, she didn't know, as she couldn't decipher their language.

She merely stared at them, trying to understand what had happened in the course of the past five minutes. They grew impatient, and the owners – their clothes were shabby, and they smelled foul, they had to be lower class citizens – violently shoved her off the caravan. She squeaked as she landed on her rear, but made no effort to reprimand them as they began to ride off with their damaged goods. There was no gravel or stone on the road under her, it was only dirt. She looked around again, and did not recognize the shabby town that was now stuck in. The clothes and style were unfamiliar, and there wasn't a trace of steel or steam-power to be seen. The people who she assumed were poor would stop to gawk at her, wondering why she was choosing to expose her legs in such a scandalous manner.

She sat there for a long time, and was only able to come up with one conclusion. One way or another, this had to be Captain Mickey's fault.

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><p>The doll girl tried to look as apologetic as possible by not only going to her hands and knees, but pressing her forehead to her creator's shoes. "One, two, I'm sorry, it's true." She mumbled pitifully, not daring to look up at his highness. "Three, four, it won't happen once more."<p>

The man tapped his shoes in an effort to try and get her off. "Everyone makes mistakes, E. You're not in any trouble." He reached down, and affectionately ran a gloved hand through her straw. "You go and get the ceremony ready. I'll pick up our other guest." He chuckled deeply, causing the doll girl, E, to lift her head and visibly relax under his warm tone. "We've come this far… and I've got all the time in the world."

**End Of Chapter One.**


	2. Dead Versus Alive

_A scene in this chapter is a written version of a one-shot comic Twisted-Wind did, and was in fact the entire reason I wrote this story, as it's always inspired me to write out how it could have happened._

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><p>"See? I told you it would be fun. Soon, all the pieces will be gathered on this board."<p>

"I still don't like the idea of a runaway piece… he could very well ruin the game."

"You worry too much. Cheer up. Now … it's your turn. Entertain me."

* * *

><p>It had been one hour since Minnie had been recklessly tossed from the traveling caravan, and she still had no idea where she was or how she got there. The buildings were unfamiliar, the dialect the people spoke in was unfamiliar, the clothes, the scenery, everything was strange and different. She made several guesses as to where she could be – perhaps the slums of the Kingdom? Or a different kingdom entirely? She'd never traveled outside of her own kingdom, so it was possible. Yet surely every kingdom had their own versions of the N.A.V.Y. and A.R.M.Y., yet when she tried to ask the humble villagers about them, all she got in return were blank stares.<p>

With the daylight fading fast, Minnie's problems increased. She was getting cold and hungry, but she didn't have a coin to her name on her. Weary, she sat on the front steps of what she assumed was a closed store, and looked up at the falling sun. How did she even get in this predicament? Surely that moving doll and that strange blur of blue had all been some kind of illusion. It also had to be Mickey's fault, because everything that went wrong in her life had a connection to him. She puzzled over this matter, trying to ignore the wandering eyes of the passersby who were shocked by her skirt and bare legs. She tugged down on her skirt as a suitable thought came to mind.

Perhaps when Mickey had kissed her in the toy fair, she had been so overcome with hate that she passed out on the floor! The whole catastrophe with the mirror must have been a dream. Then, after she was knocked out, Mickey must have kidnapped her – and probably did unscrupulous things to her body which Minnie spent a good few minutes imagining in lurid detail – and hauled her on his ship. Then the ship must have come under attack when Minnie's friends in the N.A.V.Y. came to rescue her. During the heated battle, perhaps One-Eyed Pete made off with her unconscious body, and stuffed her in that caravan in order to pick her up later and hold her for ransom, in which he would demand Mickey hand over the title of captain. Naturally Mickey wouldn't let anything happen to Minnie, so he would valiantly try to fight Pete to get her back, but during the struggle, the caravan took off with her, and now here she was.

Yes, that must have been what happened. But knowing any of that didn't help her out. She still needed a place to stay for the night, and her stomach had started to growl in a very unladylike fashion. Sighing pitifully, she held herself, feeling utterly helpless. Then someone else held her – rather, a cold hand touched her shoulder. Jerking her head up, she looked behind her, and for once found someone who was not staring at her legs.

This young human man wasn't dressed at all like the poor villagers of this tiny town. His fancy attire would have helped him fit in at any of Mortimer's high society events, and his black and white color choices made gave him the appearance of a wealthy groom. He was handsome in a very clean way, in that his short blonde hair was perfectly combed, his light face had no traces of blemishes or even an eyelash out of line, and his smile could have fit that of a fairy tale prince. He held a plain looking staff in his other hand, with its only distinguishing feature being a tiny ticking gold clock on the very top. He let go of her shoulder now that he had her attention. "You seem to be in some trouble, miss." Minnie felt relief at his voice – an Englishman! "Can I be of any help?"

"I sure hope so!" Introductions were an important first, so she stood up straight, and gave him a formal salute. "I am Private Minerva Mouse, from the Kingdom of Britain."

He stepped down from the wooden store, and did a sweeping bow in return to her greeting. "A pleasure to meet you, Private." Since he was vastly taller than her, he had to bend down when he wanted to take her hand and lightly kiss her knuckles. "Please, call me Mister Gracey."

A handsome, polite Englishman! Minnie did her best to contain her enthusiasm. "All right, Mister Gracey… could you tell me how to get back to Britain… or am I in Britain? Or… well, frankly…" She looked around once more, tapping one of her feet impatiently. "Thanks to some stupid pirate, I'm lost, poor, cold, and hungry, without a place to sleep for the night! Could you please help me out?"

Mister Gracey rubbed his chin in thought, and his eyes went to the road leading out of the village. "I think I help you out, Private… but I'm going to need time to gather my resources. For now, I can give you one suggestion." He looked down at her, placing both hands on the top of his staff, where Minnie noticed he had on a silver engagement band. "The local church allows travelers to stay overnight. I'm sure they'd be happy to accommodate you until I'm ready to come over and give you my aide."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it!" Minnie now began to search the entire scenery before her, expecting a clean and beautiful church to suddenly pop up in front of her vision. "Where is it?"

He held up his staff, and used the sharpened end to point off to the far left. "Right through that graveyard."

Minnie's happy spirits fell faster than a pigeon tied to a brick. Just the mere mention of the word 'graveyard' was enough to drain all the blood from her face, and, shaking, she began to turn her head in the direction Gracey was pointing. Only a few feet from where they were standing was a large wrought-iron gate, colored deadly and black and detailed enough to belong in a genuine horror novel. "… Couldn't I go around it?"

"Nope." He replied in what Minnie no thought of as an annoyingly cheerful manner. "You'll have to walk through to get to the church. There's no other way." He raised his eyebrows with little concern over her welfare. "Is there a problem with that?"

Minnie's fingers fidgeted, not willing to take a single step towards the ghastly graveyard. "… Um. Well. I suppose if… there's no other choice…"

"There's no other choice." He tilted his head, taking amusement in her reluctance. "Come now. Don't tell me a Private is scared of walking through a graveyard during the night? Are you superstitious?"

He was right on both accounts, but there was no need to admit it. "O-Of course not! What kind of child do you take me for? I'll go to the church right now, so you go get ready!" She then started taking the slowest steps humanly possible towards the large gates. "Just because my grandfather liked to tell me scary stories when I was little doesn't mean they had any effect on me! Just because it's getting dark out doesn't mean I'm afraid of things coming to get me! Just because I'll be all alone in a foggy, creepy place full of dead people doesn't mean-"

"Private, exactly who are you trying to convince?" Gracey called after her, which promptly made Minnie shut up. She swallowed down her grumbles, and pushed open the gates. They creaked loudly as they opened up, and Minnie shuddered as she walked in. She took one last look behind her at Gracey, who had never stopped smiling, and then walked forward on the cold grass.

* * *

><p>Count Dragul was very familiar with this village. It was on the outskirts of his territory, and many of its citizens feared his lineage. To his luck, no one actually knew what he actually looked like. When they heard the tales of the bloodthirsty Dragul family, they tended to dream up things more scary than a small big-eared mouse. It was because of this that he was able to walk through freely, inquiring everyone if they had seen anyone who fit the description of Mina or the doll girl. No one had seen heads or tails of either one, and so he was left with no clues or trails to follow.<p>

He now sat in the graveyard of the village, resting against a statue of a forgiving angel. He had insisted on going after the captors alone, despite the warnings of both his ghostly companions and Madame Leota, and he was now regretting his pride. It had just seemed right for only he to go after his beloved, but there was strength in numbers. It was too late to go to back now, as it would just waste more time searching. But where was he supposed to search?

He buried his face in his hands, mourning the loss of his love. He could still hear her screaming his name in his ears, and every time he closed his eyes, the image of the doll girl jumping away with Mina played over and over. He had been able to see and hear the entire disaster, but the doll's magic had made him unable to move. Would the same thing happen if he managed to find her? Despair and hopelessness burdened him further, and he held himself, longing to have his woman in his arms again. He would have done anything to know she was safe.

The night sky was clear, and the lack of clouds allowed the full moon to shine down brilliantly on the despairing vampire. He could have gone on in this pathetic fashion, but it wouldn't do him any good. Grinding his teeth, he forced himself to stand, ready to resume his leadless search. He pushed himself away from the statue, and headed towards a nearby grassy hill, but a sight atop the hill stopped his tracks. There in the glowing moonlight stood a familiar figure, and she too noticed his presence. Their eyes met.

How could it be – was fate truly so kind after all this time? It was his Mina! Her flowing locks had been chopped off, and her clothes were the strangest he'd ever seen, but there was no mistaking that beautiful face and her graceful body. His Mina! His darling Mina! Trembling with joy, he extended his arms, and joyously called her name, expecting her to run into his arms and sob at their reunion. "_Mina_! Thank goodness you're-"

A heavy handed clump of dirt was thrown in his face before he had a chance to finish his sentence. Dumbfounded, he stayed still as the bits of dirt fell off his face, unable to believe that his one true love had just assaulted him, and in such a childish manner to boot! She snorted indignantly, dusting her gloved hands off. "I can't believe you have the nerve to show your face to me, after all you've put me through! You're just lucky I don't have my handcuffs with me." With a huff, she stuck her nose in the air, and started to walk down the hill.

Mickey stood still for another moment as he tried to process what just happened. Maybe he heard wrong. Maybe the kidnapping traumatized Mina. Maybe this was one part of the longest and worst nightmare he ever had. He finally had sense of mind to use his cape to clean up his face, and stumbled after his bride. "I… I'm sorry, I would have come for you sooner if I knew where you were!"

"I don't doubt that." Minnie crossed her arms, refusing to look at him. It was odd to see him dressed so well, but perhaps he had been trying to blend in with the villagers. After all, he had managed to disguise himself at Mortimer's party when he first 'proposed'. He had also proven that time to be capable of faking accents, so Minnie was positive he was up to his usual tricks again. "But I don't have time for your games. I have to meet someone, so go harass someone else."

Mina must have been more traumatized than he thought! He clenched his fists, wondering what the doll could have done to her in order to make her change so much. Magic or not, he'd make that creature pay for hurting her. He continued to follow her at her side, despite her repeated 'hmphs'. "Do you know where the doll is?"

Minnie stopped in place, the impossible memories flooding back to her. "The… the doll?" He couldn't be talking about the same one, but curiosity drove her to speak. "With those… strange clocks?"

He nodded, and carefully touched her cheek with his fingers. "What did that thing to do you?"

"W-wait a minute!" She smacked his hand away, not ready for his amorous advances when there was reality to be dealt with. "That thing… it really…" She shook her head hard, wanting to welcome denial again. "That can't be! How could a doll do any of that?" Yet how else could Mickey know what she endured? She looked to his face for answers, and it was only then she saw his eyes weren't the cinnamon calming brown she was used to gazing into. These eyes were as red and dark as freshly spilled blood. Not even the Captain would feel the need to go as far as to change his eye color. The change was so deeply unsettling that it made her start to step backwards. "Mickey…?" This… this was Mickey, right? It was his face, but everything else was beyond wrong.

Mickey had yet to come to the same realization. He cupped her cheeks with both of his hands, delicately tilting her head upward. "It'll be all right. Let's go home now." He intended to kiss her forehead with utmost sweetness, but Minnie, already terrified of the graveyard, was now disturbed by this imposter. She shrieked, smacking his hands away, and ran as fast as her boots would take her down the grassy hill.

She tripped several times, but frantically got up each time, ignoring whatever cuts or bruises she got from her falls. The doll, the mirror, and that blue world, that was all real? No one knew about the Kingdoms, and the N.A.V.Y.? There was a man with Mickey's face and voice after her? When would this end! She looked up ahead, hoping to find the church of salvation, but instead saw Mickey atop one of the dark headstones standing in her way. She clumsily skidded to a halt, looking behind her, then in front again. This wasn't possible! How did he get ahead of her so fast?

"Mina…" He spoke sadly, confusion reigning in with sadness. He had found his lover safe and sound, but she was acting completely irrationally. "Why are you running away from me?" Had he done something wrong? Had the doll told her lies? If he could just have some idea of what happened, surely their love could cure it. She had already created so many miracles in his life, there was always room for one more.

"What…" Minnie looked left and right, trying to find a way to escape this madman. Then, in an instant, Mickey – or whoever this was – was now in front of her, faster than she could blink. There wasn't even time to breathe before he had an arm wrapped around her, and she found their chests being pushed together while their noses brushed front to front. Those red eyes pierced into her, and his touch was unnaturally cold. It was difficult not to show fear, but she did her best to be defiant. This was definitely not Captain Mickey.

"Mina, if there's a problem, please tell me." He thought as he talked, and an idea formed as he continued to console her. "Why do you continue to run away?" If he could get the chance to remind her of their immortal bond, perhaps that would assure her everything was all right.

First Mickey, then Pete and Oswald, just how many men was Minnie going to have chasing after her? Curse her for being so pretty! She sucked in a breath, drawing herself up to make him understand. "My name is Minerva Mouse." Her voice wouldn't waver, but her knees kept knocking. "And I'm not running away! You're chasing me!"

Though the Count's eye color was hellish, Minnie couldn't deny the level of heartbroken sorrow that filled his face. He felt and looked destitute, but he too would not give up. No matter the heartache, he would press on, for he needed her as much as she needed him. He would make her remember, and take her home, their home, where she belonged. "What's happened, my love…? Why do you act like this?" He pulled her in closer, and didn't stop to think about why her skin was warm – when, if she really was his Mina, it shouldn't have been. He was too overwhelmed with concern, and stubborn pride told him there was only one solution.

He would bite her.

"I love you." He bared his dangerous fangs, closed his eyes, and aimed for her pulsating vein.

Minnie had no idea she was the presence of a vampire, so she didn't know the implications of his bite. However, she did still have the same idea about anyone trying to give her neck a nibble, Mickey look-a-like or not. She screeched all the air out of her lungs, and punched the count right across the face. "Don't touch me, you perv!"She didn't wait for him to hit the ground, and started running again, rubbing her neck with both hands vigorously. Ew, ew, ew, ew! That creepy had just tried to neck her! Not even the Captain had done that! And judging from those racing footsteps behind her, he had every intention to try again! She ducked and weaved around multiple tombstones, hoping to lose him, and saw off in the distance a large, full blooming tree, and even further, the church!

She headed for the tree first, wanting to see if she had lost her pursuer. She hid behind the tree, catching her breath, and decided she could no longer rationalize anything going on anymore. She could only do what she knew she could do… get to the church, see Mister Gracey again, and have him help her get home. She had to focus on that, and nothing else.

"One, two, I finally found you!"

What, exactly, had Minnie done to make destiny loathe her so deeply? The voice had come from the tree, and when Minnie looked up, the doll girl was there, swaying back and forth on a branch. "The… the doll?"

"Three, four, there's a lot more in store!" E giggled manically, and then raised one of her hands, waving it back and forth. "Five, six, here's an extra spell to mix!" She raised the other hand, and smacked her palms together, creating a grating noise that hurt Minnie's large ears. A harsh yellow light emitted from E's hands, and it spread out over the entire graveyard, creating a large clock face in the sky. The hands on the sky clock began to turn backwards, spinning faster and faster, and then, joining in with that rhythm, the ground began to shake. "Seven, eight, it's time to meet your fate!"

Mickey had just caught up to the tree when he saw the light hitting the sky, and his anger returned with a glorious fury. "Not again! I won't let you!" Yet he found he was still able to move and run, so the same spell hadn't been used on him. So what had the doll done…?

Minnie had been ready to make another run for it, but the vampire's quickened speed meant he was already at her side, grabbing her wrists. "Mina, we have to get out of here!"

She tried to pull away, fighting her fear with frustration. "For the last time, my name isn't Mina! And… and get your hand off my leg, you big pervert!" Wait a minute. If he was holding her hands, how was he touching her leg? They both looked down, and saw a decaying skeletal hand hanging onto Minnie's leg, having burst from the ground below to grab at her.

Minnie's lungs were getting a work-out tonight, what with all the screaming she was doing. She kicked the dead hand off, but all around them, more rotting bodies were clawing at the dirt and grass, rising from their broken tombs. The mice split off from each other, using their abilities to try and defend themselves from the increasing enemies all around them. Mickey easily smashed bones and flesh apart with his superior strength, whereas Minnie whipped out her pistol to shoot at everyone and everything. E kept up her laughter, having fun as she watched them fight for their life, kicking her legs back and forth.

Mickey saw they were outnumbered, so the only choice he had was to take his bride and run. But his bride would have none of that! She saw him reaching for her out of the corner of her eye, and fled in the direction of the church, firing off at every corpse in her path. The old church's doors swung open easily, but another dead man had grabbed her foot, causing her to fall face first on the church's dark rug. She kicked back, and lost her boot in the process, crawling frantically up the church aisle until she reached the podium. Sitting on the floor, her heartbeat raced to hear the doors open again, and she looked back.

It pained Mickey to enter the church, but he endured it willingly, for he had seen her go inside. He slammed the doors behind him, silently praying that it would keep the creatures outside at bay. He groaned, every second in this holy place draining more strength out of him. Clutching his shoulder as if he was badly wounded, he straggled along in the church, trying to advance towards Minnie. He reached out his hand to her, in an effort to calm her, though it only did the exact opposite. "Mina… darling… I'm coming… it's okay…"

Just what was this man? Minnie fumbled with her pistol, unable to breathe normally in her terror. His speed, his strength, his eyes, everything about him wasn't against nature, and this thing wanted her. She pulled the trigger on her pistol, but it clicked empty shots. She had used them all on the undead outside. Frightened tears jilted her eyes, but now she had nowhere to run. If she tried to leave, the dead and the doll would get her. If she stayed, this… this not-Mickey would get her. Was she really going… to die?

"Mina, please!" Mickey pushed himself forward, not knowing which pain was worse – the church's burns, or his darling rejecting him with every movement. "It's me, Mickey!"

"No!" Minnie kept clicking away with her gun, despite knowing the effort was useless. He wasn't Mickey. He wasn't that stupid, kind, annoying, happy pirate! He was an imposter, a monstrous imitator! She let out one more scream, fully enveloped in the nightmare. "You're… _you're not my Mickey_!"

A crackling noise echoed throughout the church, coming from behind and above the podium. Both mice's attention was directed at the enormous cross that hovered over them. It was held up by tight rope, but something – someone – had suddenly sliced the ropes off of the cross, and it now came crashing down on the floor, taking down the podium but miraculously not touching a hair on Minnie. When the dust and rumbles settled, the man who had cut off the cross with his sword stood before them, looking proud of his grand entrance. The moonlight coming in from the stained-glass windows highlighted his golden tooth.

"Ye called, turtledove?"

**End Of Chapter Two.**


	3. Bite Versus Battle

_Thanks to Twisted-Wind for her speedy responses! Hope you all enjoy this latest chapter, in which a pirate fights a vampire in a church while surrounded by zombies. Do you really need a better description than that?_

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><p>"It's about time he showed up. I almost thought you forgot him."<p>

"Hardly! You know the old saying, save the best for last?"

"Like I'd let you end this game so quickly. Try to keep up with me."

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><p>While hardly any day for a pirate is normal, today had gone above and beyond Captain Mickey's usual schedule. The toy fair had been all fun and games, as expected, but things had taken an abrupt turn for the bizarre when he found Minnie in the doll room. He was ready to sneak up behind her and give her a surprise embrace, but the ugliest doll he had ever laid eyes upon him was suddenly behind Minnie, and shoving her into that tacky mirror. As the doll stepped into the mirror to fall her, Mickey raced in to try and aide his sweetheart. He too experienced the illogical existence of that sea of jewels, but unlike Minnie, he hadn't landed directly in the small, poor town.<p>

He had been in the church the entire time, deciding to sleep things off, in the case of the event being a dream. Never had he a more rude awakening that the groan of outside zombies, followed by some maniac with Mickey's face chasing after his terrified woman. One grand and destructive entrance later, the Captain was facing down the Count, with Minnie trembling behind him. Once she got over the initial relief to see him, she was more than ready to get into her denial. "I did no such thing! I did not call for you! I was just saying he wasn't you. How did you even get here, anyway?" She rubbed at her eyes, not wanting him to see the remains of her tears.

"Destiny, fate, all that good stuff." The Captain counted off his fingers, and then began to pull out his sword from its scabbard. "But we'll have time fer victory kisses later. Right now, I gotta deal with this handsome fella." He pointed his sharp weapon at the vampire, who still looked worse for the wear. "I'll swear not ta shred yer lil' cape ta shreds if ya swear ta leave me sweetie alone."

"I'm not your sweetie, you stupid git!"

To say the Count was displeased by all of this was a bit of an understatement. His castle invaded and tainted, his bride stolen then returned with her love for him replaced by fright, the doll girl summoning the undead, the weakening powers of the church, and now this latest insult to injury, some smelly ill-dressed rouge who stole his face and his wife? One could only push this gentle spirit so far before he showed the true colors of those in the Dragul bloodline. "I've… had… _enough of this_!" Though the church presence continued to harm him, his rage allowed him to summon up enough dark energy to form a long, black blade in his hands. "I will take back my Mina, and nothing is going to stop me!" Fangs bared, he charged towards his opponent, aiming to stab him in the belly.

"Honestly, turtledove…" The Captain sighed, pretending the matter was less serious than it really was. "I know yer cute and all, but ya gotta stop gettin' all these men after ye." He side stepped out of the way of the sword thrust, and jabbed his blade near the Count's shoulder, missing by mere inches. "First Mortimer, then Pete and that Orange guy…"

"Oswald!" Minnie corrected as she began to stand up, trying to think of a way to help, since arguing with him at this point was moot. She observed the battle with worried eyes, feeling useless since her pistol was out of shots, and were she to put her own blade into battle, she might distract Mickey too much for a real victory. Though the Count was weakened, he was still a formidable opponent. The Captain was trying to play it cool, but it was obvious to Minnie that he was using every ounce of strength just to dodge the blows. When the Captain was able to return any attacks, the Count hardly flinched, as if he never felt any cuts. It only furthered her suspicions that the Count was not something of this mortal realm… perhaps like the doll girl.

The Captain, however, still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. When forced into a tight corner of the church, he punched with the handle of his blade into the Count's elongated fangs, and while the Count reeled from the sensitive blow, the Captain jumped on one of the pews and ran down the long seats, trying to form up his own plans. Hearing footsteps already behind him, the Captain easily flicked his wrist and drew out his pistol, turning around in one quick step to fire at the Count. With every minute of the battle passing, more of the church was vandalized, with split pews, torn carpets, and flung drapes. The Captain was doing everything in his power to slow or knock down the Count without killing him, but the Count had no such restraints towards his opponent.

When Minnie understood that last fact, she knew she had to think and work fast. But how could they stop such a massive powerhouse? She frantically looked all over the church, but when her head faced up, an idea came to her. "Captain, get him outside!" She sped for a door that was placed near the confession stalls, as the door was open and the stairs inside of it led upward, so she had a fairly good guess of where those stairs would take her. "I've got a plan!"

"Got it, luv!" The Captain's sword had been forced out of his hand by now, so he was forced to fight mainly with his pistol and fists, which was just fine with him. He walked backwards until he hit a wall with a beautiful stain glass window above him. He waved for the Count to come closer, smirking victoriously. "C'mon, get those huge choppers of yers over here!"

The time in the church was taking its toll on the Count, which became more noticeable with each haggard breath he took. His speed and strength were steadily depleting, thus when he reached the Captain, the pirate easily grabbed the vampire by the scruff of his neck, and heaved him up, over, and backwards – sending him smashing through the window and back into the graveyard. Feeling proud of his feat, the Captain climbed up into the now mostly empty window space, and looked down at his enemy who lay on his belly on the grass. "So! Wanna give up now?"

There was no reply from the other, who lay completely still. The Captain took it to mean humiliation, and felt a smidge of pity. He hopped down and onto the grass, calmly walking up to the fallen body. "It's not like I can blame ye… she's a real cutie. She's sweet, but fierce, and kind, but stands up fer herself… what man wouldn't fall fer her?" He stood beside the Count's head, shrugging about the matter. "But! She's already spoken fer… and as much as she cares fer me, she's not gunna run off with ye just 'cause ye got me face. Neat trick, by the way. Now, how's about we let bygones be bygones? If ye say yer sorry, I'll even let ye come to the weddin'… but ya gotta promise ta wear a mask, or it'll be weird. Hm?"

The Captain paused so he could hear the Count's reply, but for extra measures, he kicked away the Count's sword. After a moment of silence, one of the Count's hands shot out, grabbing the Captain by the ankle in an iron grip. "…Oh, let me _thank you_…" He slowly lifted his head, and now his blood red eyes were ten times more intense. "… For getting me out of that place."

"Uh-oh." That was all the time the Captain had to let anything out before the Count threw him up in the air, and without waiting for the Captain to land, punched him hard enough in the stomach to send him soaring in the outside of the church, possibly cracking the wall and definitely cracking one bone or another in the pirate. He barely had time to register what just happened when the Count's hands were upon the Captain's throat, strangling him in seconds.

"Now let me tell you something, you imposter!" The Count hissed, perhaps enjoying the blood drain out of the Captain's face far more than he should have. "My life has been nothing but pointless suffering since I first used these fangs! I have been deemed and treated like a monster for the mere crime of being a Dragul! I've lost loved ones, I've been driven to madness and isolation for centuries, and then I finally get a single beam of happiness in my life – and you dare to take her away from me!" Not even the frantic kicking of the Captain's legs deterred him from his demands. "And for what? For what? For what reason am I not be allowed to be happy?"

The Captain shakily managed to raise the arm holding his pistol, and shot without hesitance. The Count felt nothing – the bullet flew past him, and lodged itself in something behind him. Startled, the Count glanced behind him, and saw that the Captain had shot off the head of one of the undead, which had just been ready to take a giant bite out of one of the Count's ears. Reminded of the extra dangers he had faced before, the Count dropped the Captain to the floor, facing the approaching undead. "I forgot all about these things!"

"Try ta remember this time." The Captain coughed out, rubbing his bruised neck. "That was my last bullet."

The Count took an extra few seconds to look down at his exhausted enemy, and as his eyes looked over the bruises and aches he had helped to cause, a realization finally occurred. "…You're just an ordinary mortal, aren't you?" During the course of the fight, he had deemed the other man to be a supernatural entity, much like himself or the doll girl, simply because he had 'taken Mina' and had his same face. Now he was surprised to understand that he had been fighting a simple man, perhaps even simpler than Oswald Van Hellsing. How could someone like this have done the crimes which the Count accused him of?

"I ain't ordinary!" The Captain snapped as he stood up, one hand still tending to his pained throat. "I just wanted ta keep this a fair fight." He twirled the pistol around in his hand, now intending to use it as a club since it could no longer fire. "How about we level the playin' field before we resume our fun, beaver boy?"

"It seems we have little choice, you drunk ruffian." The Count undid the clasps of his cape, letting it settle down behind him. With that hindrance gone, it would be easier to fight multiple enemies. "Just don't slow me down!"

Both boys jumped into the fray, dealing left and right with the zombified thugs. Destroying the head appeared to do the job, but the real problem was the number. For every one that was defeated, two more seemed to take its place. The two mice wound up having to come to the others aide more than they wanted to. Yet for all these forced camaraderie, Minnie hadn't seen a second of it, so she was still under the impression that the Count was the enemy. That was why she was now at the very top of the church, standing in front of the large bell that refused to budge, no matter what she cut or pushed. She had thought her plan to be ingenious – get to the bell tower, push the bell over, have it fall on the 'imposter Mickey', then she and Mickey would start a journey home, most likely involving a lot of cold nights where they would be forced to snuggle. Outside the realm of her imagination, she had proved to be much weaker and the bell proved to be much stronger than she had assumed.

Annoyed, Minnie kicked the bell, though all it did was make Minnie's foot extremely sore and make the bell do a weak ring. Pained, she removed her other boot, and now completely barefoot, she sighed, trying to go over her options. There had to be something she was leaving out of her mind.

"One, two, what did you plan to do?"

Oh, right, _that_. Minnie looked around, and despite the impossibility of it, E walked out from the other side of the bell, as if she had been hiding the entire time. E walked towards Minnie, and Minnie had no choice but to walk slowly backwards, knowing that one wrong move would mean plummeting off the church. "W-what in the world are you? What do you want from us?"

"Three, four, telling you won't matter anymore." With the same creepy smile plastered on, she grabbed Minnie by the shoulders, and pushed her off the clock tower.

Minnie's descending screaming worked on both pirate and captain, putting their brawl on complete hold. With a mixed cry of "Minnie!" and "Mina!", the two raced towards they saw the body fall, obliterating any remaining foes in their path. They ran as fast as their feet would allow, and to their mutual horror, it looked as though neither vampire nor mortal would be able to reach her in time. Neither managed, and neither caught her.

That isn't to say she didn't safely land in someone's arms. With a loud "Oof!" Minnie found herself being cradled in human man's arms, and after she understood she was no longer falling, she looked up at her savior. "Mister Gracey?"

The elegantly groomed blonde smiled gracefully at her, keeping her steadily balanced in his arms. "I told you I would come here for you, Private, and a gentleman always keeps his word." He beamed charmingly at her, ignoring the jealous faces of the two men who skidded to a halt before the rescue.

"Oh, c'mon!" The Captain threw his pistol to the ground in his temper tantrum. "Just how many fellas gotta go after me girl taday? She's mine! Mine, mine, mine! We're engaged and everythin'!" He even began stomping his foot like an enraged rabbit, and while the Count was behaving more maturely, he was inwardly feeling the exact same way.

Minnie rolled her eyes at their behavior, and tried to sit up in her savior's arms. "Thank you so much, Mister Gracey, but we've got to get out of here. This place is dangerous!"

The Count's internal annoyances were quieted when he heard that name again. When Minnie had first said 'Gracey', he thought he had simply misheard. But this time, there was no doubt again. "Gracey? As in the Gracey family manor?" Yet it couldn't be what was heard. "That can't be, the last Gracey - "

His plot twist was interrupted by the arrival of the last member of the party. E jumped off the bell tower, and landed daintily on her feet on the ground besides Gracey. Both male mice recognized the terrible toy, and resumed their battle positions, ready to take her down this time. Minnie yelped to see the doll girl again, and pointed at her in flailing, wild motions. "She's back! We've really got to go!" To make matters worse, the undead had begun to catch up to this small group, outnumbering them to an unhealthy degree.

Gracey took one look around, and then clicked his tongue, merely annoyed by this situation. "E, if you could be a dear…?"

E curtseyed, giggling in her grinding gears fashion. "Five, six, I'll eliminate these tricks!" She raised her hands high, and with a single smash of her palms, all the clocks on her body began to go forwards in time with rapid speed. The undead that had been ready to feast upon this party stopped in their tracks, and then began to decay before their eyes. In the time it took The Captain to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't just seeing things, the zombies aged enough to now only be mounds of bone powder. Proud of her accomplishment, E clapped together the tips of her fingers. "Seven, eight, won't we be late?"

Gracey chuckled merrily, not caring about the terror that displayed on Minnie's face. "That's daddy's good girl."

"Daddy?" All three mice yelled at once in bewilderment, but that's all the time they had to react to it. Just like in Dragul's castle, E ripped off the needle of her other eye, and tossed it on the ground. The needle spun around quickly enough, creating a bottomless hole that reflected the blue sky of jewels that both private and pirate had experienced.

E jumped in first, and the Count knew full well where this was going. "No! Not again!" He and the Captain both moved to try and grab at Gracey, but he skipped into the hole, carrying with him the shrieking Minnie, and the last sound they heard before the hole closed up was the call of Mickey's name.

The Count stood helpless, and continued to watch the scene recreate itself as the Captain pounded on the ground where the hole once was, demanding to have his beloved back, and even dug into the ground with his hands for final desperation. He knew he could offer no words of comfort, and instead set his eyes on the sky that had begun to end the night. This day had brought on more questions than he liked, and he was only sure about one thing.

The last son of the Gracey family line had been dead for years.

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><p>Hours earlier, Madame Leota was creating history within the Dragul Castle. For as far back as anyone could remember, she had never left the room where her predictions and warnings were made. That changed significantly this day, as the man she had called to the castle was now reluctantly carrying her orb down what seemed to be a never ending flight of stairs. He grumbled as he tried to keep her steady. "You know, with all your mystic voodoo powers, you couldn't learn how to carry yourself?"<p>

"My power is not in voodoo, and you would do well to keep such comments to yourself." She calmly retorted, keeping her eyes ahead. "I must save my energy. My powers diminish the further I leave my sacred room, so I must store everything I can so I can explain everything to the Count as soon as possible."

"Can't you just wait for him to get home?" He was starting to feel like a babysitter to this castle of creeps and mystics. "He'll have to get back here eventually."

"We cannot wait for that. If I am correct, then he must be informed immediately about the dire circumstances concerning our very existence." She had a feeling her assistant had no idea what she was talking about, nor did he readily care. "If you have any ounce of sympathy for the Count and Mina, you will help us without any further complaints. This concerns you just as much!"

"Fortunately, an ounce is exactly how much sympathy I have for them." He rolled his shoulders, tempted to ask just how a floating head of green gas in a glass could weigh this much. "I've dealt with plenty of vampires in my time, but he's the biggest pain in my neck." He looked down at her, expecting at least a smirk of amusement, but got nothing in return. "All right, all right… but this better be the last time I get involved with you guys."

"I suspect our ties to you are eternal, Oswald Van Hellsing."

"Oh_, joy_."

The bickering continued onward, unaware of the pair of dead eyes watching them. Emily said nothing as they walked on, not wanting to bother them. Her problems weren't important compared to what they were going through. Yet she still felt troubled, and lightly put a hand to her chest. Ever since this latest batch of problems started, her heart had begun to beat softer than normal. She couldn't fathom why.

**End Of Chapter Three.**


	4. Worlds Versus Wars

_As always, thanks to Twisted for not only letting me do this, but being the beta reader for it. You'll see influences of the When They Cry series here, which will happen more as the story goes on._

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><p>"He just had to come in the middle of it, didn't he? What a spoilsport."<p>

"I did warn you about the dangers of a runaway piece."

"You certainly more than made up for it. I hope you keep it up."

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><p>The sun was beginning to rise on the graveyard, but the Count made no effort to find solace in the shadows. Overwhelmed by everything that had happened, he sat among the mounds of dust that were once bodies, once more lost in his sorrows. The Captain was upset, but instead chose to pace around, hoping that making blood run through his body would stimulate new ideas on how to handle all of the strange problems they encountered. They did not speak to each other, but eventually, the Count cleared his throat, feeling he should at least try to make amends. "I am… starting to think that was not my Mina."<p>

"Ye think?" The Captain cast an annoyed glare to his double. "Kinda hoped ye'd figure it out when she told ye that wasn't her name." 'Stupid', he didn't say, but was clearly meant.

The Count's lips twitched as he suppressed a snarl. "She looks exactly like her! She has the same voice! How much blame do I really deserve?"

"Plenty, seein' as she was scared ta death of ye." The Captain turned on his heel, and the two men angrily met eyes. "Ye should be grateful I ain't knockin' those choppers outta yer mouth fer makin' her cry."

"Stop calling them choppers! They're fangs!" Indignant, the Count stood, ready to fight all over again. "And I never meant to make her cry, or to cause her fear! I love her – I mean, Mina! I love Mina with all my heart!"

Where the Count argued with emotion, the Captain took a more childish method. "Well, I love Minnie more. We're gettin' married and everything."

"So are we!" Though the Count could have taken a more mature route, this other him so irritated him deeply that he too fell into silly fighting. He jabbed his finger repeatedly into the pirate's chest with every word. "In fact, now that I've had time to think it over, I can't see why I thought your woman could have possibly been my Mina. Mina is far more beautiful!"

The Captain and the Count wound up in the world's dumbest shoving match now, as their pride and reckless affections waged war. "That's a lie! My Minnie is the prettiest girl in all the seven seas! Ye take that back!"

"At least my woman doesn't shamelessly show off her legs in public!"

"That's her uniform! And whaddya doin' lookin' at her legs?"

The pointless bickering continued back and forth, going through such tirades as more colorful eyes and best hips to bear children with, and it could have continued long enough to have the sun fully rise and cook the Count into a crisp. Fortunately for everyone involved, the sound of a horse's whinny was enough to distract the two from delving any further. Hands at each other's throats, the men looked towards where the equine noise had come from, and realized that in their petty squabbles, they hadn't noticed the large, black hearse enter the graveyard and ride towards them. The single rider atop the hearse was also cloaked in black, and it was impossible to see his face. Yet it was because of this that the Count recognized him at once, and unceremoniously dropped his double flat on his back. "My hearse!"

The Captain grumbled, sitting up. "What, yer gunna run away just when I was winnin'?"

That could have just as easily started another argument, but the door to the hearse opened wide, and a familiar voice snapped at them. "Will you two idiots get in here before he disintegrates?"

"Oswald!" said the Count, and "Obie!" said the Captain. The vampire made it to the hearse first, climbing in, and the Captain quickly followed soon after, shutting the door behind him. The Count sat down, relaxing in the darkness, but the Captain stood, even as the hearse began to ride off again. He was stunned silent for the moment by, first, the sight of Oswald. Instead of being the dapper snob he somewhat recalled, this Oswald looked to be a fighter, with worn out clothes, traces of muscle, and most importantly, an entire arm replaced by metal. Then came the matter of the rabbit holding a green orb with a woman's head in it. Then the pirate started realizing all the other strangeness of his identical twin – such as the change from weak to strong when he left the church, the fact that his wounds had started to heal on his own, and, perhaps most importantly, how he _made a giant sword out of nowhere_.

He blinked once. "… I've got some questions." Which was putting it mildly.

"Sit down." Oswald tried to balance Leota on his lap correctly. "And hopefully she's got the answers."

"I think a round of introductions is in order first." She replied calmly, slowly looking from one Mickey to the other. "That may ease the confusion some, before I'm ready to begin. My name is Madame Leota."

The mice shared a distrusting look with each other, but the vampire decided to go first. "I am Count Mickey Dragul."

"Oh, ye couldn't just stop with stealin' me girl, had ta go steal me name too?" The pirate huffed, crossing his arms. "… Captain Mickey."

"And I am Oswald VanHellsing… not Obie." The rabbit had a distinct feeling he was going to have twice the amount of headaches he usually did when dealing with Dragul. "You got that?"

"Aye, Olympus."

Leota thankfully knew when to cut in before a whole new fight started. "I summoned Oswald to the castle in order to bring me to the both of you. But I cannot the situation at hand with only words… I have the ability for us to link our minds together, so I can share all of this information at once. Now, join hands." There was quiet for a moment, as none of the men in the hearse wanted do it. "… Join hands!" Grumbling, the men reluctantly agree to it, forming an odd little triangle. "Now, close your eyes, and wait." With their eyes closed, they didn't see Leota's green glow turn harsh, nearly blinding, and encompassing the entire inside of the hearse. The men could feel their nerves tingle, and a soft haze came into their minds. It was almost like falling asleep underwater. One minute passed…

"Now, open your eyes."

The first immediate change they noticed was that they were no longer in the hearse. Instead, they stood in an endless sky of changing blue, with small crystals dangling from nothing all around. The Captain recognized the space from when he had traveled through the mirror, but then other changes became more apparent. They released each others hands, startled at their own bodies. The Count's monstrous features were more noticeable now… his fingers had become sharpened claws, the very tips highlighted with fresh blood. All of his teeth had fang shapes to them, and his ankles were chained together, his healing wounds now opened. For Oswald, it was no longer his arm that was just mechanical – now half of his entire body was machine! The remaining humanity of him had one fang in his mouth, and he too had fresh blood on the tips of his hands. For the Captain, he…

… Well, he was just two inches taller than the other men, and that seemed to be the only noticeable change.

"This is your mind's eye at work." Leota explained, but she was no longer a head in glass. She was a fully formed human woman, dressed in gypsy garbs and almost painfully beautiful in every manner. She smiled with faint amusement to see the surprise on the faces of the men. "I was alive too, at one point. These forms are how we see ourselves… I still think of myself as I was when I was alive. Oswald, you worry that you become less mortal with each kill you deliver, and fear you may become what you hunt. Dragul, you see yourself as a monster, and unable to escape your family's fate. Captain…" She paused briefly. "… You appear to be quite at ease with yourself."

The pirate relished his taller superiority for a few quick seconds before getting back to the important matter. "So, yer sayin' we're in our heads? Then what's with the light display all 'round us?"

Leota gently took one of the small jewels into her palms, and held it out for all of them to see closer. "What we see around is an illusion of a real place. The Captain and his companion have experienced it firsthand. It has no true name, but for the sake of simplicity, we shall call it… the All Gateway." She waved her hand over the jewel, and in a blink, there were two of the same jewel. "I speak of other worlds."

Oswald interrupted, thinking he had the answer. "You mean like Mars, Venus…?"

Leota shook her head, and allowed the jewels to float a few inches above her hand. "I did not say planets… worlds. Other lifetimes exist outside of our own. For every decision we do and do not make, another world is formed. We exist in every world, but our story is always different." She gestured to one jewel. "In this world, a young man named Mickey was born into the vampire line of Dragul, and lived a life of ghostly solitude in his castle until a mortal woman changed him." Then she gestured to the other jewel. "In this world, a young man named Mickey was also born, but into a life of poverty and theft, eventually dedicating his ambitions to winning the affections of his every opposite." The Captain raised an eyebrow to that knowledge, and Leota spread out her hands. "In this mind link, I can see all of your memories. Concentrate hard enough, and you should do the same."

The vampire crossed his arms, unsettled by the education he was receiving. "And just how do you know all of this, Leota?"

Leota threw the jewels into the air, and they hung perfectly in place with its brethren. "There are many secrets in the Dragul line you don't know about, my lord. Your father was a dangerous man, and he craved power. He sought out all information available to him, no matter how insane the concept seemed. This was just one of many theories he sought out… it just happened to be a correct one. The knowledge has changed hands many times in safety, because so little believed it could be true. Unfortunately, someone has done the impossible. Access to the All Gateway has not only been made, but violated, trespassing into other worlds."

The Captain tapped his chin in thought as he recalled his sweetheart's words. "That has ta be that weird lookin' doll, and that man that took me Minnie… I think she called him Gracey."

"I heard it too, but I still have trouble believing it." The Count frowned, eyes fixated on the jewels above. "The last of the Graceys have been dead for years. The ghosts of his brides reside in my castle."

"You shouldn't say that like it's a really normal thing." Oswald muttered under his breath, but the Captain was willing to accept any craziness at this point.

"You forgot so easily what I have said, Count." Leota waved her hands back and forth, mimicking a conductor waving his baton, and all of the jewels around them began to drift around. "This could very well be a Gracey from another world. He has breached into forbidden magic, from what I can see in your memories… for what purpose he has taken Mina and Minnie, I do not know. But I do know if that he continues violating the All Gateway, we will all be in danger." She clenched her fists, and the jewels began to shake violently. One by one, they began to shatter. "It cannot handle these abrupt changes, and it will affect the other worlds. I fear that if he continues, the distortion caused by his presence and kidnappings will cause the other worlds to cease existing all together."

"Let me get this straight." Oswald held out a hand, trying to catch a falling jewel, but missed. "If we don't save the girls, we're all going to die?"

"No. We shall just simply… stop being." She snapped her fingers, and the jewels froze in mid-dissolve. "There will be nothing there. No past, present, or future, for any of us. It shall be as if we never existed." She began to look exhausted, and slowly sat down on her knees. It was obvious that sustaining this link for so long was beginning to take its toll on her, but she refused their gestures for aid, needing to finish. "… We will return to the castle, for there is a book that speaks of how to reach the All Gateway. However, only I can open it, and not all of you can enter. I do not even know how long I can keep it open. But you must find where Gracey has hidden himself, get your women back, and return to your respective worlds, before it is too late."

Again, the men all exchanged looks with each other. This time, however, the Captain burst into a grin, giving an enthusiastic thumb up. "I didn't understand much a' that, but as long as I get ta save me turtledove, count me in. Ye know what they say about rescue romances!"

The Count snorted derisively, but he was also smiling. "I'm willing to work with anyone as long as Mina is returned home safely. I suppose this makes us allies."

Oswald whistled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Ortensia's never going to believe this one… but I guess if it gets rid of the second pain, I'm in. What do you need us to do, Leota?"

Leota raised her head, looking seriously at the trio. "When we reach the castle… we'll have to get prepared."

* * *

><p>"This is not how you treat a lady, especially one in the NAVY!" Minnie had yelled when she got her rump haplessly tossed into the dark and damp cell block. Who knows why she thought this would earn her freedom, when her constant yelling during her entire kidnapping hadn't done a thing. Gracey and E had ignored her every word since they traveled through the All Gateway, and before Minnie could even grasp what had happened, they were standing in front of a crumbling dungeon. Minnie's remaining sword had been stolen, and she had been tossed inside while her kidnappers walked away without a care. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing the iron bars and trying one last time to call out to her captors. "Just wait! Captain Amelia will have your heads for this, if my friends don't find you first! And don't blame me if that stupid pirate comes too!"<p>

"I'm afraid threats won't do us any good here." Her own voice softly chided. "Are you hurt?"

Minnie stopped, and turned around. Though she had been given plenty of surprises in the last twenty-four hours, she still had the ability to be shocked, which is how she felt when she saw her own face staring back at her. This other Minnie sat in the cell with her wrists and ankles chained together, severely limiting her movement. Her lovely clothes by now had been ripped in desperate struggles, and her elongated hair was matted with sweat and knots. She also carried the same blood red eyes of the lunatic in the graveyard. While this other woman was openly astonished by these similarities, Minnie was able to come to a conclusion. "…You must be Mina."

"Why… yes. How did you know?" Mina had a million questions for her counterpart, but she'd just have to pick and choose for now.

"I met your boyfriend." Minnie rubbed her neck as she irritably remembered how close his teeth had gotten to her skin, and her cheeks pinked. "I don't suppose you have any idea why we're here?"

Mina slowly shook her head no. "I was taken from my home by those people, and I've been trapped here so long… I don't even know how long."

Minnie looked her over again, having her own questions to guess at. "Why did they chain you up and not me?" She knelt down to her double, taking a closer look at the bonds that held her. A faint smell reached her, and she saw with horror that the cuffs on her had burnt Mina's flesh. "Oh my goodness! You're hurt!" How, she didn't understand, but she frantically looked around, trying to think of a way to help her.

Mina smiled weakly, appreciating the sympathy. "It's all right… I've gotten numb to the pain. They didn't want to risk me being able to use my powers…" She sighed pitifully oblivious to the stare Minnie was giving her. "Which is just as well, as I really haven't been able to understand how to use of them."

"… Powers." Minnie repeated flatly. She waited for the punch line of this obvious joke.

Mina nodded. "Well, yes. My vampire powers." Wasn't that obvious?

A long, unhealthy pause grew between them, as Mina innocently wondered why Minnie's expressions became at first, incredulous, then believable, and then terrified. In a rather humiliating display of fear, Minnie sprung to her feet, clutching her head. "_Aaaah_! All of grandfather's stories were true! First those things in the graveyard, and now vampires! That means ghosts are real too! And sailor eating mermaids! And the boogeyman! And-" She screeched as her own thoughts interrupted her. "That creep with Mickey's face! He was a vampire! And he was going to suck my blood! Ewww!"

"Mickey is not a creep!" Mina would have let Minnie hyperventilate onward, but she would never let her darling be insulted in such a way. "It must have been a misunderstanding! He doesn't want to bite and hurt people!"

Minnie, with her hands on her neck as if to prevent further biting, cast a haughty look at her double. "He seemed very eager about it when he thought I was you."

It was Mina's turn to blush as she understood what had happened. "… That's different. It's… kind of a romantic thing, between vampires. He honestly didn't mean you any ill will, if he thought you were me. He's really very kind and sweet… and you really can calm down, I'm not going to bite you. These are silver chains."

Minnie hesitated, but as the seconds passed, she understood that no further harm was going to come to her. Resigning herself to her current fate, she sat down next to her double. "All right… here's what I know. A man named Mister Gracey and his doll took us, and he prepared in advance to keep us here. He's so confident that no one will come after him that he didn't bother to harm… the Mickeys." It felt silly to call them that, so she rushed forward with her words. "There's no way all of us looking alike can be a coincidence. He wants the both of us alive, but doesn't care if we get hurt."

"I can't imagine what he could want with me… us." Mina hung her head, ashamed of how useless she had been when she was captured. "Like I said, I barely know how to use my powers… and only Mickey would care enough to come after me. And if he does come after me… I fear he'll be put in terrible danger." She whimpered a little, frightened for the fate of her beloved."If only I could have put up a fight…"

Minnie felt it was very odd to see her reflection ready to cry. Awkwardly, she moved closer, and began petting Mina's hair. "Yes, well, if your Mickey is anything like mine, he'll come charging in no matter what dangers there are. They're stupid like that." She put her fingers to work, deciding if she could keep herself busy, she wouldn't be as scared as Mina was, and thus tried to smoothen out Mina's hair. "He'll ignore all the logic in his way, and do anything and everything in his power to get to you. Not even getting hurt is going to stop him. He'll try to be like Prince Charming, a knight on a white horse, breaking out his fair princess. He won't rest until you know you're safe again."

Mina sniffled, smiling friendly at her companion. "Oh, my… you love your Mickey very much too, don't you?"

Minnie's entire face became redder than Mina's eyes in an instant. "W-what? No! Of course not!" She looked away, morbidly embarrassed by what she had slip out. "I was… was talking only about yours, of course! I hate my Mickey! … N-not that I think of him as _my_ Mickey! He's his own Mickey! He's a filthy, rotten pirate, and as a member of the NAVY, it's my job to arrest him and bring him to justice!"

Mina tilted her head over the unfamiliar terminology. "NAVY? What's that?"

"You don't know what the NAVY is?" Minnie was flabbergasted by such lack of knowledge. "Why in the world do you think I'm wearing such a short skirt?"

"I was going to ask about that next…"

Thus the two began exchanging information about each other's lives, for lack of anything better to do. Minnie regaled tales of thievery and treachery, interlaced with Mickey's romantic stupidity. Mina spoke of the difficult life under her uncle, and the newfound joy and experiences she had upon meeting Count Dragul. They laughed at the foolishness of men, and were sympathetic to the plights of loss. Had the circumstances not been what they were, they could have been friends very easily. However, every so often, Mina would wince from the pain of silver, or Minnie would shiver from the cold of the cell, and they would be reminded of the terrible situation they were in. For now, they had no choice but to endure it.

* * *

><p>Captain Mickey hummed at the impressive sight that was the Dragul castle. His jokes about how it would be a fun place to rob didn't quite entertain the others, and he grumbled about their lack of funny bones as they went inside, the vampire just barely avoiding the sunlit rays of a new day. When the heavy doors closed behind the small group, there were ghostly calls of relief, as the spirits of the manor were glad to see their master returned.<p>

"We have no time for greetings now." Leota warned, managing to recover now that she was back in the castle. "Take me to my tower, and we can get the preparations started."

"Follow me." The Count instructed, but he had not taken three steps before one of the ghosts accidentally blocked their path.

Emily had been so glad to see the Count back that she could not contain herself, and floated up from the floor to greet them. "Count, thank goodness you're home!"

As usual, Oswald shrieked humorously in fright, almost dropping Leota. He groaned after he realized what had happened, and took a huge breath to calm himself. "Emily! You really need to stop doing that, or soon I'll be a ghost too!" On the plus side, maybe he'd get to have some fun watching the pirate in fear. Both he and the Count looked back to see how the Captain was handling himself.

Yes, the Captain was afraid – but this was a different kind of fear. His face had gone pale, and he had started to step back, trembling in his boots. This wasn't fear of the unknown and unnatural – this was fear of something he had seen once and should never have seen again. There were even hints of tears at the edges of his eyes, and his voice, while shaky, could be heard by all in the room. "… _Mama_?"

**End of Chapter Four.**


	5. Loss Versus Love

_Originally I planed to make the final fight longer, with E using more time magic, but I couldn't find a place to fit it in. So I decided to rush through it and have this be the finale. The 'other worlds' that Gracey describes are other verses of mine, which you may recognize if you've read a lot of my storybits. And again, the ending has been heavily influenced by the When They Cry series, especially Umineko. But if you've never delved into it, feel free to use your imagination on what the ending means._

_Thanks for going along with this silly little side project, and I hope you all enjoyed it. This will probably be the last of PVP you'll see from me for a while, though I may dabble in some storybits if an idea strikes. Thanks so much to Twisted-Wind, for approving this idea and making sure I never got any details wrong with her characters. Be sure to keep an eye on her gallery for her upcoming Wizard of Oz project, to which I'm greatly looking forward to._

* * *

><p>"<em>Ahaha<em>! You should see the look on your face! Come, tell me that wasn't a beautiful surprise!"

"I will do nothing of the sort. You've exceeded my expectations. Had I known you were so good at surprises, I would have been much more comfortable with that runaway piece."

"This again? Very well, let's see him again. If it becomes too much, we'll reign him in."

* * *

><p>Though the Captain had many good memories of his mother, the memory that always stood out was the very last time he had seen her. She laid on the floor of their humble home, a stranger's brutal hands on her throat, and her voice becoming shallower with each last scream. The young boy was hidden yet could not force himself to look away from watching the life drain out of her eyes. It had been a slow and agonizing process as he saw every muscle move its last. When the deed was done and the man had left, the boy was no longer a boy, and the imprint of death had so darkly struck him that he had vowed to never see it again, since he knew he would no longer see her again.<p>

Yet there she now stood, dressed in bridal attire, startled that she had caused a different kind of fear. The Captain was clutching his head, unable to close his eyes, and looked very well on the verge of screaming. "What is this? What is this? Ye told me ye were me allies… _what kinda sick trick is this_?"

The Count had little idea what was happening, but he did know he had little time for his partner to have a break down. "Emily, leave!"

"B-But…" She looked back and forth between the mice, not understanding what she had done. Surely she had misheard since she knew she had bore no children during her mortal existence. But there could be no denying the mental shattering the Captain was experiencing, his mind half with them and half in the past.

"Leave!" The Count barked, making it understood that there was no room for argument. Seeing the Captain experience this was not just familiar due to shared faces – how many times had the Count experienced nightmares so similar? Emily gulped, but obeyed, sinking into the floor and vanishing from their sight entirely. Once the Count was sure she was gone, he looked to his reflection, waiting a moment for him to settle before speaking. "… That was no trick. I honestly did not know she bore any connection to you." He cut a glare to Leota. "Though someone should have."

The psychic had said so herself that in the mind link, she had access to their memories. Since she would not look at any of the men, it was silently made obvious that she had already known about the Emily from another world. "… I had thought we would send him back before seeing her. My apologies. But we must not waste any more time, and get to my tower."

"Sure," Oswald muttered dryly as he resumed walking. "As long as you're not hiding anything else."

The Captain swallowed hard, rubbing his eyes on the back of his sleeve. After shuddering, he suddenly stormed up to Oswald, yanked Leota out of his arms, and walked even faster. "I'll make sure of that meself! Ye keep anything else from me, and I'll drop ye!"

The Count quietly went along with them. Though he would protect Leota if it came to that, he sympathized with the pirate. The group of four spoke no more of what had transpired, and made an effort to pretend as if nothing had happened as they headed to the tower. Every so often, the Count spotted Emily hiding around a corner, no doubt still curious as to her connection to the vampire's look-a-like. She always made sure to disappear anytime there was a chance the pirate could have seen her, but the Count silently chided her with his eyes when he could.

When they arrived to Leota's room, she asked to be placed on the table, and the Captain did so rather roughly. Now back on her pedestal, her full powers returned, and her green shine intensified, encompassing the entire room. Wind blew although the windows were closed, and tarot cards flapped about above the heads of the men. "Oswald!" She called out, as several cards began to freeze in place. "In order for this spell to work, you have to aide me. Did you bring me what I asked?"

"Of course." With his hand of flesh, he dug into his pockets. "After telling me to come here, Leota asked me to bring a little something special…" He pulled out what first appeared to be a simple rosary necklace made out of wood. "In the business, we call this weapon the Darkest Prayer. Each bead has been dipped in the blood of a different saint." He flicked it around his wrist, and then began to spin it around faster in his fingers, creating a tiny blur of brown. The tarot cards began to shine d ark due of red, spitting out redder lines back and forth to the spinning rosary. As a spider-web of blood colored lines began to form, Leota floated four more cards to the mice, fitting two into each of their hands.

"Keep these with you at all times." She instructed, noting the confusion from the two mice. "Conventional weapons don't work in the All Gateway. Give one to your women when the time is right, and they will align with you. Oswald and I must stay here to keep our way open." The spider-web began to change shape, now forming into a simple rectangle. "Find Gracey, get the girls, and go home. The more time that is spent doing otherwise risks our destruction."

"But no pressure or anything." Oswald couldn't help quip. The inside of the rectangle began to turn into the sky and ocean blue that they by now had all come to dread.

The mice exchanged one more look, and then stuffed the cards into their clothes. The Count stepped forward, ready to start the journey. "Thank you, both of you. Rest assured, we-"

"Geronimo!" The Captain sped forward, jumping into the abyss with all the excitement of a child diving into water.

The Count stood for a moment, baffled, and wondered if the Captain had recovered from his emotional trauma so easily, or was just putting up appearances. "He's not going to make this easy." He grumbled, and calmly stepped into the blue.

As soon as they entered, both men fell downward, a never ending spiral of jeweled worlds. All of the jewels looked alike, leaving them confused as to where to even start looking. But when they both looked down at the same time, they spotted one jewel that was clouded in a murky gray, as if encased in its own fog. The men reached out, and grabbed it, putting their faith in one guess.

* * *

><p>When E opened the cell door to the imprisoned females, Minnie was quick to get on her feet, defending her counterpart. The doll returned the gesture with a quizzical smile. "One, two, what would you do? Three, four, follow me out the door."<p>

"I refuse!" Minnie knew hand to hand combat, as did all enlisted in the NAVY. "Unchain Mina at once, or I'll-" E smacked the private across the face with a hand that felt like sheer steel. Minnie collapsed to her knees, clutching her wounded cheek while Mina cried out for her fallen friend. E then happily walked further into the cell, unhooking Mina's chains from the wall. She then dragged Mina by the chains, walking out of the cell block. "Five, six, come along quick!" Minnie, knowing she had no choice, scrambled to her feet, and followed her hobbling companion.

The silver steel on Mina's body made it painful for her to walk, so she had to move slowly if she wanted to move at all. Minnie walked up behind her and whispered, hoping that E wouldn't care about their conversation. "Mina… if I could find a way to free you, could you do something with those powers of yours?"

Mina winced, not able to spare a look back. "I told you, I don't know how to use them!"

"I think this would be a good time to find out." Minnie held Mina by the arms, trying to keep her steady as she walked. "You just have to try! If our Mickeys can't make it to us, then we need to save ourselves. I can't fight these guys without my weapons, but who knows what your powers could do?"

Mina shook her head, refusing all chances to think kindly of herself. "It will never work, Minnie! I can't do it! I just don't know how!" She shook her head vehemently, and groaned as that too caused her pain. "We may look alike, but I'm not like you at all. I can't fight, and I've always needed someone to save me. I can't do anything…" How could she argue otherwise? Her entire life had been sheltered by her uncle, and after that, Mickey always saved her when it counted. She was just a weak and helpless girl.

The prisoners were led to a gigantic, wide room filled from top to bottom with shelves of broken dolls. Some were ruined by old age, while others had been deliberately smashed apart by hand. Top to bottom, shelf to shelf, these destroyed dolls gave the room a sense of frustration and defeated accomplishment. Mina recognized the disgusting watchdogs that had attacked the Dragul castle as they were now waiting in corner of the room for further orders. In the middle of the room were two flat tables with silver chains attached to the sides. There was a doll for each table, as tall as an adult human woman, which is exactly what they looked like. Unlike E, they were perfectly still, standing up straight with dead eyes and clutching silver axes in their hands. Clocks were embedded in their backs, quietly ticking backwards. Gracey stood between the tables, clapping at the arrivals. "Daddy's so proud of you, E! Now, let's get our guests comfortable."

"Seven, eight, I'll set them straight!" E giggled, delighted to hear such praise. She let go of Mina's chains only to grab Minnie by her wrists, lifting her up and taking her to the left table.

"Let me go, let me go!" Minnie kicked about, despite it still not helping her. "Whatever you're doing, it won't work!" She continued to protest as she was put down on the table and chained down, restricting her resistance. E then merrily went about doing the same to Mina, but as Minnie looked up from where she was laying, she saw that her neck was in the perfect position if the dolls wielding the axe near her let go of its weapon. Frightened, she turned her head, and saw that Mina's neck was in the same danger. "Oh… no, no, no… you're… you're not actually going to…"

Gracey stroked E's straw hair for a job well done. "It's all been leading up to this moment, and you've been wonderful, E. Daddy couldn't have done it without you." E laughed and clapped her hands, then pranced around the tables in her ecstasy. Gracey chuckled at her enthusiasm, and then held aloft his staff, clutching the clock that was on the very top. "You girls don't need to be so upset. You're doing a great service with your sacrifice." He twisted the clock back three times, and in response, the axe-wielding dolls began to mechanically raise their weapons. "You will die for love, and for what better reason could there be?"

"_You're insane_!" Minnie screamed at the top of her lungs, as both women squirmed in their chains.

"Probably." E shrugged his shoulders, dismissive of the insult. "But think of this as a compliment. With the two of you dead, your worlds will be so effectively changed, so warped, that the fabrics of the All Gateway will rip and tear, leaving me to sow it back up my way. Your futures matter deeply. Who would have thought?" He leaned to one side, playfully pinching Minnie's cheek. "The disgraced private who would save the world from a horde of robotic monsters and change the laws forever." Then he leaned to the other, doing the same to Mina's cheek. "The brave countess who would lead an army to save her husband and continue a proud bloodline." He then clapped his hands together, applauding their loss. "Your worlds need you. And now when you die, they will die with you. Like the phoenix, your death will bring about life…" He reached out to the ceiling, and threw his head back as he announced to only them. "My Emily will live once more!"

What he expected was applause from E. What he got was a red rectangle opening up in the ceiling two feet away from him, dropping two bodies into the room. The Count, during his fall, had managed to summon his dark energy and form enough of a wingspan for him to gracefully land on the floor. The Captain fell flat on his face next to the Count. Fairly sure he broke a tooth, the pirate lifted his head. "… That was fer all the 'choppers' jokes I made, wasn't it."

"Let's call us even now." The Count's eyes easily found Gracey and E, and he set all of his anger on the kidnappers. "I will only tell you once – release them!"

The girls harmoniously cheered their lover's names, while Gracey's upper lip twitched. "… This is… unprecedented. E, get rid of them."

"Nine, ten, they won't live again!" E clapped her clock palms together, giving the call for the demonic watchdogs to destroy the mice men. The clock hounds raced towards the heroes, snarling and clawing, ready to tear them apart.

The Captain still had a sword ready to pull out, no longer afraid for the upcoming fight. "It's too bad, I like dogs."

"It doesn't look like they share the same sentiment." The Count turned his wings back into the same sword he had fought the Captain with. "You're next, Gracey!"

The dogs set about them, and the battle was not easy for the men. They were fighting gears and steel, but never gave an inch, slicing and dodging to the best of their abilities. The dolls around them suffered for this war, as thrown bodies would shatter shelves and send the toys fallen to the floor. However, the boys had learned from their graveyard experience. If they didn't defend each other, they'd lose the other, and that would only make the fight much harder. So as they fought, they defended their clone, suffering through torn clothes and tougher bites, saving each other just in time. It was a unique piece of teamwork that was serving them well, as one by one each dog fell. When they needed further incentive to fight, all they needed was a glance at their distressed damsels, as the axes above them rose higher and higher, and it was enough to give the men ten times more strength.

Gracey's cheerful demeanor began to dissolve as the fight furthered on. It seemed he had not expected the Mickeys to do so well on their quest to save their maidens. "… Oh, so very impressive… I did not think they could get this far. They do not have the conviction I do… but no matter!" He slammed his staff on the ground, convinced the victory was still his. "The girls will die at the exact same time! Such a shatter of futures and destinies will have enough power to destroy all worlds! You don't stand a chance against me… the King of Clocks! Can you even conceive what I've done!" But for all his bragging, the boys weren't being slowed down. In fact, they were winning, and the bodies of the strewn open dogs were laying around them. The watch dogs had turned out to be elaborate dolls themselves, made out of gears and clocks, and machines could only go so far.

"Eleven, twelve…" E did not need an order to know what to do. She ran head first in the battle, intending to use her massive strength to send the boys to their graves, hands reaching out for them. "You will not stop him!"

The boys saw her coming easily enough, and not only side stepped her, but tripped her as she passed. "That didn't even rhyme!" The Mickeys shouted together as she fell into a heap of destroyed doll dogs.

Unfortunately, E may have had a point. For all the battles the Mickeys were winning, it wasn't stopping the axes. Gracey grinned as he saw the weapons coming into their perfect places, relieved that his plan hadn't gone astray. "There we go… Ten… Nine…"

Minnie understood exactly what he was counting down. "Mina, you have to try! You can do it, I know you can!" She hollered as loudly as she could, desperate on this impossible tactic.

"Eight… seven…"

"I can't! I can't!" Mina screeched, seeing her impending death loom ever closer. "Mickeeey!"

"Six… five…"

The men heard the shouts of their women, and echoed their own shouts of horror and loss. "No!"

"Four… three…"

Minnie clenched her teeth, her mind racing. If Mina wouldn't fight for herself, what would she fight for? Though the girls were different as night and day, they were still the same embodiment in heart and soul. If Minnie had such powers, what would drive her to do? Twisting the memories and loves of their pasts together, she made one last try, putting all of her faith on something she knew to be true for both women. If Mina wouldn't do it for herself…"Think about what Mickey's life will be without you!"

Mina stopped in place and her eyes widened.

"Two…"

The dolls holding the axes swiftly shot their arms down – and in the time of a blink, the dangers changed. A blade of dark energy erupted from Mina's open palms, severing the chains that bound her and the arms of the deadly doll over her. In the same moment, standing up quickly, her scarred hands grabbed the silver axe, and she threw it hard enough to decapitate the other axe doll, causing it to fall over backwards. The power overflowed out of her, the energy continuously distorting into different shapes in her pained rage. "I… will not… let him suffer anymore! Everyone always makes him out to be a monster, but I won't let that happen! He deserves to be happy, and I make him happy!" She waved her hand about, momentarily turning her energy into a sharp whip that lashed open Minnie's chains, freeing her. "I don't know what you went through or what you lost to make you do this… but this stops now!"

"Well said, Countess." Minnie stood up on her table, dusting herself off. "You picked the wrong girls to hurt. We don't know how to give up when the one we care about is danger, and we need them as much as they need us! You already lost when you chose to pick on us."

This was further proved as the last of the dogs fell to the floor, and the heroes walked to their heroines, proud of what their girls had accomplished. "Careful, turtledove," The Captain whistled as he helped Minnie down from the table. "Or ye'll make me fall fer ye all over again."

The Count offered his bride a tender kiss on the cheek as she was helped down. "Every word is right. I need you in order to ever feel happiness again. And now we'll take back our happiness."

Reunited, all four mice looked at the maddened Gracey, unanimously challenging him with four combined voices. "Time's up, King of Clocks!"

Gracey clutched his staff tightly enough that his nails began to tear through his gloves, incredulous that everything had been stopped so suddenly. "Impossible… impossible… impossible! How could a bunch of filthy rats get this far! You can't possibly love each other as much as I love Emily! I have done all of this for her, and what have you done?" He pointed his staff at them accusingly, his entire calm demeanor gone forever. "Your works are miniscule, compared to my work! I spent countless years traveling worlds to learn spells of time! I built all of these dolls by hand, infusing them with forbidden magic! I created this world, I did it! E, come here!"

Upon being called, E began to somersault, jumping right over the startled group and landing delicately in front of her father. "One, two, I'm ready to do!"

"This is not a full world." Gracey hissed, grabbing E by her straw hair. "No one can create a full world, composed of life and histories… I could only create a castle… but I no longer have need for it! I will start anew!" He then yanked upward, ripping E's head off of her neck, and holding it high in the air. Her headless body stumbled, and then clattered to the floor, clinging onto his pants for a fraction of a moment before going completely still. "The spells she knows kill mortals who use them… so I infused them into a doll, so she could wield them… this worthless doll, who could never be my child! Who could never be my Emily!" He threw her head on the floor and it shattered into a million pieces. "This moronic abomination was the foundation of this made-up world…"

Without the foundation, the world could not exist. Everything around the mice began to dissolve, from the walls to the dogs to the dolls. They all faded into nothingness, returning them to the swirling blue nexus that was the All Gateway. All of the living bodies began to fall, and the mice grabbed their loved ones close to keep them safe. Gracey spun as he fell, arms outstretched in free flying motion. "My Emily died before I could put the ring on her finger… was I supposed to just live on without her? How could I? My beautiful Emily, who loved my dolls! I delved into the knowledge of the All Gateway to find her again… and do you know what I found?" He grabbed one of the floating jewels, and then threw it at the four mice. In a split second, their vision changed…

… "_Mickey." Princess Minnie instructed, wagging her finger in front of her boyfriend, managing to portray authority and adorability at once. "I said to call me by name! We're together now, so I won't have you call me princess."_

_The short musketeer quickly looked around, double checking that they were alone in her private garden. "… Aw, gee, Princess, don't ya think we'll get in a lot of trouble for it? I mean, I'm already a commoner, and people might say…"_

"_I don't care what people might say!" Minnie grabbed him by his arm, bringing him close enough for their noses to brush together. "I love you. That is all I care about. Now, I insist you call me by name! In fact, I order it, and you have to obey my orders."_

_Mickey sighed, but had no urge to deny her, smiling as he blushed. "… Sorry, Minnie…" He gave a soft kiss to her little bangs, but she was hardly satisfied with that. She pulled him down even further, making their lips touch…_

Their vision returned just as swiftly, continuing their all through the All Gateway. Gracey sneered, collecting more jewels in his hand. "And they live happily ever after. You see, you ingrates are not alone. Look, look at what you are!" He threw the jewels at them once more, and again they saw visions of themselves in different lives, flickering moments of a boy and a girl finding love together no matter the odds. "A masked vigilante for justice and his duchess… a Romeo and Juliet of different planet kingdoms… a werewolf and red riding hood… in every world, it's the same! Mickey and Minnie, always together! You are always together, you always find love, you always live out your days in happiness! And do you know what the fate of my Emily is in each of these worlds? She dies! She dies before we can be together! Why! Why does she have to die in every world, but you two always find each other?"

Gracey spun around, jumping off nothing, and tackling down the Captain, dragging him down. "Won't you help me?" He shook the pirate by his jacket as he delved further into hysterics. "If we destroy the worlds, we can repair them! We can give Emily life again! I know she was your mother! Help me bring your mother back! You want to see her again, don't you?"

At first, the Captain thought that a good punch to Gracey's face would be the correct answers. But after Gracey reeled from the assault, the pirate decided to add on. "Don't ye speak fer me or fer me ma. I spent a long time gettin' over her… and I still managed ta find the strength to live. Ta find happiness. But what yer goin' about ain't even close ta love… ye did all this fer yerself! Loss is a part of life, and ye can't ruin our lives fer yer own selfishness!" He pulled out the tarot cards Leota had given them, still unsure what to do with them but figuring now was as good a time as any to try. "Find yer own happy ending… cause we ain't ever lettin' go of ours!"

"_Then to hell with all of you_!" Gracey howled, flipping himself up straight, and holding up his staff, the needles on the clock spinning rapidly. "I'll find new worlds to get these damned women with, and kill them! There will be weaker ones out there, ones that can't be saved by your cheap love! I will get back my Emily!"

"This ends now, Gracey!" The Count withdrew his own cards, holding them in between his fingers. "Love is not something that can be measured… but we will fight to save it!"

The four cards began to glow bright white, and then slid out of the men's fingers. They swirled around in place, and then flew to each of the mice, forming into a weapon in their hands, while repairing their clothes and their wounds, but then the light swallowed them completely, changing their forms little by little. Leota's power before had shown them what they looked like to themselves – but now, they became how their lover saw them.

When the light faded, the Count and Countess Dragul were in royal black and red garbs, the most powerful and beautiful king and queen to have ever existed, and they wielded proud scepters with sharp sword ends, the sight of which would make any invading army surrender at once. Private Mina was now a high class General, exuding strength and power in a uniform that now covered her lovely legs, and her elongated pistol now required two hands to wield due its length and size, creating a shadow to give fear to all criminals. Captain Mickey's rags were now a smooth armor, coating his body from the neck down, a haphazard knight with many scars of battle proudly on display, no doubt helped by the giant swords lodged in each hands, able to cut down any ship to size.

"This isn't fair!" Gracey swung his staff around, attempting to create another portal so he could ambush another world for his sick ambitions. "I love her! I love Emily! Why is your love stronger than mine? It's not fair!"

The four heroes jumped down to meet him, weapons at the ready. "Love is knowing when to let go!" The Count used his scepter to strike off Gracey's left arm.

"Love is acceptance!" Mina smashed off Gracey's right arm with her similar weapon.

"Love is mutual!" Minnie shot off Gracey's left leg in one blow.

"Love is understandin'!" The Captain severed off Gracey's right leg in fluid motion.

The tears of his body gave no blood or bone to worry over. What spilled out of him were gears and oil, just like his dolls. He had been at his quest for so long, that his body decayed, and he replaced his imperfections with his own creations. In his mad search for love, he had lost and forgotten his humanity. That made the final blow come easier, as all four reigned down upon his head. "And our love is here to stay!" His head smashed open from the all mighty force, sending chunks of copper wire and oozing oil splattering down. All that was left was his lifeless torso, floating in front of them in limbo. The fight was finally over.

"Well done, travelers."

A brand new feminine voice entered the realm, and a petite body floated down towards the disembodied body. All that could be seen was a green cloak embedded with constantly moving words glossed in gold, and pale hands poking out from under the sleeves. Anything under the hood was a mystery. The mice raised their weapons, ready to take on the new opponent, but the figure held up her hands in defense. "At ease, I am not your enemy. I am here to send you home." With a wave of her hand, the changes to their bodies and clothes were gone, and their weapons were no more. They looked exactly the same as they had before Gracey entered their lives.

"And I was just getting used to wearing pants!" Minnie groaned, tugging down on her NAVY skirt.

The Count looked the cloaked figure over, unable to make any sense of her. "And just who… or what… might you be?"

"Think of me as a Gatekeeper. Someone who observes all worlds, and keeps the peace between them." She snapped her fingers, and two red rectangles opened up behind the mice.

"A fine job ye did guardin' this place!" The Captain tapped his foot in annoyance. "Why didn't ye help us out, if that's yer job?"

"I would say you did a fine job on your own." Though they couldn't see her face, her voice made it sound like she could be smiling. "The damage will be repaired. When you enter these portals, you will be sent back to before these events happened. Your memories, and the memories of all those involved, shall be erased, in order to keep balance."

Despite being more than eager to return home, there was slight disappointment at this news. The counterparts faced each other, grateful for what the other had done but knowing their time together had come to an end. Minnie reached out to shake Mina's hand, but the countess took her for a hug instead. "Thank you for giving me the confidence I needed."

"Yes, well, try to keep it up, will you?" Minnie chuckled a little, ruffling Mina's hair. "It won't do to have any kind of me to think badly of herself."

The Count held out his hand and the Captain earnestly shook it. "… I apologize for everything I put you through. But you put up a good fight, and I admire your conviction."

"Aw, ye were doin' the same as me. Just tryin' ta protect yer woman." He grinned, flashing off his gold tooth to try and prove it was better looking than giant fangs. "And quit it the monster stuff. Yer a better man than that."

The group parted, ready to return, but a thought occurred to Minnie, and she raised a hand in question. "Wait, I need to make sure… anything we do right now, we'll forget and never remember?"

The cloaked figure nodded. "Yes, you will not ever recall it."

"Good." With that in mind, Minnie yanked her captain by the shirt and kissed him hard on the mouth, effectively shocking everyone in sight. When she was finished, she bashfully pulled back, mumbling in a girly fashion. "Thank you for rescuing me, Mickey." She then shoved him away, running right for the portal closest.

The Captain stood there slack-jawed for an overly long moment before he snapped to attention. "H-hey! T-Turtledove… no, no, ye come back here! Ye come back here this instant and kiss me more!" He sped after her to the same portal, and it closed when they were gone.

Mina burst into laughter, and the Count managed to let a few chuckles go as well. They linked arms, doubting they'd ever believe this tale even if they were allowed to remember it. They entered their own portal as husband and bride, and this portal also closed up and away. The cloaked figure nodded in approval, and then waved her hand in a spiral motion around Gracey's torso. A tiny light floated upward from his body and into her hand… a pawn chess piece. "Yes, I think we've all had enough of that." She then casually walked as a white tiled floor formed underneath her, leading her to a quaint table with a humble chess set in play on top. "I told you this would be fun." She sat down in her chair, and pulled down her cloak so her hair could fall in place.

"You've more than proven your point." The figure on the other end conceded, using one piece to knock over another. "But still, let's try and prevent that sort of thing in the future, shall we, Melissa? If the others found out we lost control so easily, we'd never get invited to their tea parties again."

"If you're so worried about it, you form the next game, Maria." She licked her lips in anticipation, fingers already trembling. "Give me a delicious story. I want to see your latest tragedy…"

With a high pitched cackle, the other held out her hand, and as she unfurled her fingers, a brand new jewel was born into her grasp.

"_Ahaha_!"

**The End.**


End file.
